Tatooine Sunburn
by KoreRat
Summary: UPDATED  Added Chapter 4, and made some changes to Chapters 1 and 2.  A short story I have started writing, it started as the backstory of my character on Star Wars Galaxies, and has evolved into a full grown tale.
1. Before the Storm

**Before the Storm**

This is Tatooine, my home. A place so vast and barren that no sane being would willingly reside here. Yet here I am, along with a couple hundred thousand others. I'm not sure what brought the original settlers here; I think it was something about hoping to mine valuable minerals, but the only thing here is sand. This wretched planet, it should have been left to the Jawa's and Tuskens; they're crazy enough to _want_ to live here.

I didn't always reside here; I was born on Iridonia, the planet native to my species, Zabrak. My Mother and Father left when I was very young, a few weeks old or so. As it stands I have no memory of it, no idea of what it's like, no smells, no sights, no sounds, nothing. I hate that, I'm proud to be a Zabrak, but I know nothing of my culture or heritage. My parents wouldn't tell me anything my whole life, denying everything, everything but Iridonia and Zabrak.

We moved to a town called Dee'ja Peak, on Corellia. A nice enough place, it was apparently a famous place; its theater was always full, with beings from far off places. That was the talk of the town, Dee'ja Peak Theater, the plays and players were the topic of discussion for most. Especially my Mother, she was a player after all, not _a_ player but _the_ player; most famous in town, some say the whole system.

But everything changed one fateful day, when I was about twelve years of age. There was a man, he was obsessed with mother. Always at her shows, waiting out back to see her after. My father confronted him once, told him to leave her alone. That didn't work, he came back with a vibroblade. Mother wasn't harmed, but father, father was killed. The blade stuck from father's chest, while mother held him, dying. The man running off into the gathering crowd.

Afterwards mother moved us to Naboo, to the capital city of Theed. There she gained work as medical assistant, working with her best friend, Le'in Li, a Twi'lek whom she'd first met on Iriodonia when Le'in was visiting doing medical research. Mother was able to find some peace in our new lives.

She once told me that Le'in was one of the bravest beings she had ever met. That Le'in had been through so much in her life and still managed to keep her head up. She told me that I should learn from her, to never give up. Le'in was more than a friend, she was a second mother to me. So much so that not long after, I decided to change the spelling of my name. I gave it more of a Twi'lek sound, in honor of Le'in.

The day I graduated from medical school, mother and Le'in were the happiest women on the planet. I had achieved the title of Master Doctor, and set forth creating my own practice. I offered enhancements and cured illnesses, and since I loved it so much, I was more than willing to take price cuts. My business was booming.


	2. Everlasting Peace

**Everlasting Peace**

Then came the day when I met her, Le'ah. She was the embodiment of everything beautiful and pure. It didn't take long before we were together, and in even less time, we were married. I spent less and less time at the office and more with her. Then, she was with child. Sooner than I thought was possible, I had found my soul mate and together we had created our beautiful daughter. My life was turning out to be better than I ever thought it could. Everything was falling into place as the Force had deemed.

We moved to the outskirts of Theed, settled down in a small Naboo house. I worked at Theed hospital, helping adventures with their injuries and train Novice Doctors. Le'ah spent her days working in the cantina; she always said she liked dancing there more than the performing arts. Our daughter was growing to be as beautiful as her mother with all the brains of her grandmother.

She was six standard years, our daughter, when I decided to plan a special vacation for the family. I spoke with a galactic travel agent; thought of a few different worlds that I knew Le'ah had always wanted to visit. After a long decision, I settled on Alderann. I had heard about the flower paintings that cover the landscape and seen holos of them, but I knew they were far lovelier before my own eyes.

I bought three tickets, rushed home and told my wife. She was thrilled; it was a trip she had always wished for. I called my office informing them I'd be out for a few weeks, and she was packed and ready to go before I got back home. We all piled in our speeder and headed for the Spaceport.

As I was checking the bags I got a call from the hospital, it was mother. There had been an explosion; she was on her way home from the theater. I told Le'ah that I had to go see mother, and that I would catch the next starship to Alderann. She understood, she always understood, and I left.

When I got to the hospital it was too late, mother didn't survive. They told me that some terrorist had planted bombs outside the shuttle port. Rebels were targeting innocent civilians, civilians who didn't agree with their views. I spoke with an Imperial Officer, he told me that they already had some of the Rebels responsible for the attack, I wanted nothing more than watch them die.

I called Le'ah on her comlink, told her about mother and that it would be a few days before I left. She wanted to come home to me, to help me with my grief, I told her no. I never saw her again, never heard her voice, never looked into those green eyes. When I went the star port to buy my ticket, there was a large crowd around the holoscreen; the newscaster was giving details of a failed Rebel attempt to construct a massive weapon. These Rebel engineers had caused a sort of malfunction or something. I never got all the details, but they managed to destroy the entire planet, all the innocent lives, including the two most important women in my life, gone.

I left the hospital, sold the house, and wandered the planet. I was numb; I had nothing left to live for. There were times, times when all I wanted was to die, so I could be with Le'ah again. I left Naboo; I left Naboo and all the memories that were there on it. I didn't know where to go so I bought a ticket at random and left, never to look back, never wanting to remember. I arrived in Bestine, Tatooine; about as backwater as backwater can get. I spent the first few weeks in the cantina, drinking away my memories.


	3. Far From Center

**Far From Center**

It was in the third week when it happened, when I changed. I was drinking a Corellian Ale, the memories almost completely gone. When a large Trandoshan sat beside me, he said something, but I couldn't understand his language. I just ignored him and went back to my ale. Before I could take another sip I was on the ground, wheezing, the air had completely left my lungs. The Trandoshan was standing above me shouting, if I was able to, I would have said something.

He snarled and growled, then reached into his vest pocket. When his hand returned it was holding a very deadly looking vibroblade. I started to get up, but he grabbed me by my neck and yanked me the rest of the way. He started to brandish his weapon, and I wondered what I did to upset him.

He thrust forward, attempting to catch me in the gut. I suddenly realized that I no longer wished to die; the memories were gone, as was the hurt. Just before my skin was to be punctured, the man sitting at a table next to our conflict jumped out of his chair, and faster than I could really see, brought his own sword down on the Trandoshans', knocking it out of his hand and across the floor.

The man than said something to the Trandoshan in that same language, before turning back to me and gesturing to a seat at his table, I sat. He sat across from me and introduced himself as Jyhn Rombyz. He told be that he was training to be a Fencer and that he was an Imperial Soldier. I was impressed, this man, Jyhn, wasn't much older than me, yet he had already accomplished so much. We sat and talked for most of the night.

Jyhn let me sleep on his couch for the night; it was an improvement over the back alleys I'd been sleeping in. That following morning Jyhn began teaching me what he could about Brawling. Only I chose to focus on a polearm and lance rather than the one-handed swords that Jyhn used. I learned quickly, and soon Jyhn had nothing more to teach me.

We traveled to Dantooine, stayed there for a few months, helping out with Hunting Parties and doing odd jobs for the locals. It was usually hunting Bols or Pikets, they became our specialties. The money we made was great; I had a small fortune before I knew it. While there I found a trainer to teach new skills, I was a Novice Pikeman learning the art of the polearm.

In-between our missions, Jyhn taught how to speak and comprehend many more languages. I was able to teach him the same of my native tongue; it was nice to speak it again. He would also tell me stories of his adventures and his struggle with becoming a Master Fencer. There were times when he would ask questions about my past, but my sudden silence would always be note of a needed subject change. Over the next few years, as we worked together more, little by little I would tell him about my past. Eventually he had learned it all.

One day, while we rested and healed our wounds in the local cantina at a Mining Outpost on Dantooine, we saw a man boasting about his guild. At first I just ignored him, but then I realized that he was a Trandoshan, he was the same Trandoshan from Bestine. I stared him down from our table and waited for him to notice me, that didn't take long. As soon as he did he rushed me, that same vibroblade in his hand. With a talent honed over the last months I stood, Vibro Axe in hand, and dropped him, severing his leg. He screamed at the site of his leg lying next to his chest, I smiled and walked out.


	4. Journeyman

**Journeyman**

I was a glutton for adventure; I took every chance to explore whatever planet it was I was on. I learned about the struggle between the Mokk and Dantari peoples on Dantooine, about the crystal swamps of Corellia, even the acidic rivers of Lok. Once I even joined a hunter's party that was in route to Dathomir to hunt Rancors. After the hunt, I traveled the planet learning what I could about it. I ran into these strange women that called themselves 'Night Sisters'. They had traits that resembled Jedi, but more uncaring and ruthlessly evil. I'd never met a Jedi, but the history books told me all I needed to know.

Kashyyyk was impressive place to visit, really brings a being down to reality. I ventured into the tree tops in search of rarely seen beasts and treasures of the past. I met with the leaders of a Rodin Hunting guild deep in the forest. Their leader, Sordaan, gave me task and quests, upon completion if them I was granted into their highest ranks. I traversed deep into caverns and met a Doctor who specialized in cybernetics; he offered to give me some cybernetic arms in exchange for working for him. I found a man who claimed to be a clone who fought in the Clone Wars; he told me some interesting stories about his battles and gave me his old set of armor, which I would later proudly display in my shop.

On Tatooine I hunted a wild Blade Back Boar, an almost extinct creature. I found an abandoned Imperial Outpost overrun by Tusken Raiders, and battled more at their namesake, Fort Tusken. While there I learned a lot about their heritage and history. I searched out Jabba the Hutt and his palace. There I joined his gang; quicker and easier than I thought was possible, I was working for Jabba himself. While there I made sure to take note of the layout of his place and the locations of the guards. You never know when that kind of information will payoff.

There was also the time I convinced Jyhn that we could take down a Krayt Dragon on our own. We traveled out to the Krayt Graveyard, a well known place to find Dragons, they tend to instantly head there when they know they are close to death. Our failed attempt began when we tried to confuse our prey by coming at it from different sides. Suffice to say; the Krayt lived and we almost didn't. On our way out of the canyon we where surprised to find two more Krayts on their way in. But the adventure was worth the story.

Once I got my captains license and bought a ship I traveled the far reaches of space. I had dog fights with pirates, discovered long forgotten relics for decade-old wars, and debris from new ones. I traveled deep into space and gave the Kessel Run a try, took me a good 17 parsecs; nothing to brag about, but a noble attempt.

It didn't matter to me if we won or lost in our battles, so long as I got a good story out of it. All-in-all, my adventures across the galaxy have been both exciting and terrifying, from my first encounter in Bestine to my latest in space.


End file.
